Reply #9: Ok, let's make this easier. If you have 100 people making $30K a year, they are

[sinkingfeeling]

currently paying in $1860/yr. each, so $1860 times 100 equals $186,000. If you raise the rate on everything above $100K to, let's say 10%, then on a $137K income, one would pay in $9900/yr. ($100K * .062 = $6200 plus $37,000 * .10 = $3700). To make up the difference between losing the $186,000, you would need to have 19 people making $137,000 for every 100 making $30K. ($186,000/9900).

That's not the reality in the USA.